Bill blocks efforts of cities, counties to regulate gun shows

A bill blocking the efforts of Texas cities and counties to regulate firearm sales and keep gun shows out of town passed the Senate Thursday.

Senate Bill 987, authored by Katy Republican Sen. Glenn Hegar, would grant the attorney general authority to seek an injunction against cities or counties which attempt to regulate firearms and supplies, a power not granted local governments but that has been discussed amid the national gun debate.

In January, Travis County Commissioners and the Austin City Council received backlash from many gun owners after discussing rules that would have banned gun shows from public, and maybe private, property. Others have considered local laws to mandate background checks even for individual sales at gun shows, which are currently exempt.

Sen. Royce West, D-Dallas, said he feared the bill would prohibit a county or city from deciding not to allow public facilities to be used for gun shows.

Hegar said the measure wouldn’t prevent such public facilities decisions so long as a local law wasn’t created to ban it as was done in Glendale, Calif.